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Chelsea must already be ruing failing to keep Rio Ngumoha out of Liverpool's clutches, as excitement surrounding the 16-year-old continues to grow.
Ngumoha came off the bench during the second half of Liverpool's pre-season friendly against Yokohama F. Marinos and provided the world with a reminder of why there is so much hype surrounding him.
Collecting the ball just inside Yokohama's half in the closing stages of the game, Ngumoha only had eyes for one thing as he drove at the heart of the opposition defense, before jinking inside onto his right foot, and finding the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
His cameo prompted some Liverpool fans to call for him to be regularly involved with the first team during the 2025-26 season, and while Arne Slot was keen to temper fans' expectations after the game against Marinos, he will be helpless to do so if Ngumoha produces a similar level of performance in the Premier League.
Ngumoha made one appearance for Liverpool's senior team last season as he lined up in the FA Cup third-round win over Accrington Stanley — a game which took place just five months after his 16th birthday.
Ngumoha was actually still a Chelsea player when he turned 16, before he joined Liverpool just a few days later.
After news of his move to Liverpool emerged, Chelsea legend John Terry wrote on Instagram: "This boy is and will be a top, top player."
The teenager is regarded as one of the biggest young prospects in Europe, and after scoring against Marinos, Ngumoha told club media: "It was a very big night tonight.
"I feel like coming off the bench to make an impact was really good. It was obviously nice to get a goal today but that's just the first of many.
"Like I said last time, I just keep on working hard and showing the manager what I can do."
"I'm not trying to rush [my development in the first team] because I'm still only young," Ngumoha added.
"But at the same time, I just want to show the manager what I can do and not get too complacent. I just want to do bigger and better things for me and the club."
Speaking about Ngumoha in an interview with The Athletic after the game, Slot said: “We’ve only played two games over here and we haven’t played against Premier League opponents yet.
"But I see him train, I see him play, and the impact he has when he trains and plays is really promising.
“Playing in the Premier League, playing every three days with the Champions League games in between, that’s something else.
"But he’s definitely a player who shows at this moment in time that if he keeps bringing these performances in, then tonight (against Marinos) definitely won’t be the last time he plays a few minutes for Liverpool. It’s all about consistency. He needs to show it every single day we’re on the pitch.”
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